The Big Picture

Exploring the trends shaping our modern cities through a curated collection of articles and op-eds

A Call for Inclusive Progress

Mar 05, 2018

Chiara Corazza is the Managing Director of the Women’s Forum, a leading platform dedicated to highlighting women’s voices and perspectives on global issues. On the occasion of International Women’s Day, NewCities Executive Director Sébastien Turbot sat down with Ms Corazza to discuss how cities can take the lead in promoting gender progress. Sébastien Turbot: Chiara,…

Building Opportunities for All in Christchurch

Mar 05, 2018

As Mayor of Christchurch I am very pleased that the NewCities Foundation has decided to #PressforProgress to honour International Women’s Day 2018. This is a special year for our country, New Zealand, which marks 125 years since we became the first country in the world to grant women the right to vote. And it is…

Reinventing our Way of Life in the City

Mar 05, 2018

The city is a melting pot of human relations and plays a considerable role in social relations between those who live in it. This is why the gender agenda cannot be far removed from the urban agenda. More often than not, the city replicates existing patterns of social dominations. Only a holistic political plan –…

My Experience with Gender Participation in Nili, Afghanistan

Mar 05, 2018

Women’s participation to a city’s development process is critical to having a prosperous society. It enhances socialization and promotes cooperative behavior between different actors in the city. Urbanization that does not consider gender issues is a threat to a city’s overall stability. In urban areas, cooperation is based on a mutual common interest. When a…

Why We Need Women-Led Cities

Mar 05, 2018

Urbanism remains a niche and even “nerdy” subject by many accounts, but I think that’s an outdated mindset. With the vast majority of humans living in cities worldwide — for the first time ever — the time has come to make cities front and center in our conversations on the future. The reason why this is such a big…

Montréal Moves Toward Greater Equality

Mar 05, 2018

2017 was a turning point in the history of Montréal. For the first time in 375 years, the population chose to elect a female Mayor and a majority of women to the City Council. The arrival of this new era has brought a breath of fresh air to Montréal. In becoming Mayor, I became part…

Pressing for Evolution in the Field

Mar 05, 2018

I will not begin with an anecdote about my 25+ year long career, about transgressions I’ve experienced in the work environment and not to mention in life, being referred to as “cute” or “babe” is really the least of it. We’ve all been there, and we all bear the weight of these experiences. Rather, I…

Can Architecture Press for Progress in Gender Parity?

Mar 05, 2018

The most important for ending gender inequality worldwide is a change in the education of both women and men, especially girls and boys, to accept and expect the integration of women in all aspects of public life. Not surprisingly, such changes are achieved more easily in urban rather than rural settings, where patriarchal structures are…

The Future of Women in Cities

Feb 23, 2018

On the occasion of International Women’s Day, we invited 11 female leaders from all around the world to comment on how cities can be catalysts for gender progress.   Featured Photo by pawel szvmanski on Unsplash.